Narseh

Narseh (244-305) was Shahanshah of the Sassanid Empire from 293 to 305, succeeding Bahram III and preceding Hormizd II.

Biography
Narseh was born in 244, and he was the son of Shapur I and brother of Bahram I. Narseh was governor of Sindh and the other eastern regions of the Sassanid Empire under his father, and he was passed over in the succession to the throne by his nephew Bahram II and his grand-nephew Bahram III. In 293, Narseh campaigned against his nephew and captured and killed him, becoming the new Shahanshah. Supported by the nobles, he was a popular ruler, and he promoted religious tolerance. In 296, he invaded Armenia to fight against the Roman Empire under Emperor Diocletian, an enemy of the Persians. In 298, future Roman emperor Galerius destroyed Narseh's army at the First Battle of Satala, and he was forced to cede five provinces beyond the Tigris River to the Romans as well as giving up claims to the Kingdom of Iberia and giving more land to the Kingdom of Armenia. He died in 305 and was succeeded by his son Hormizd II.